Utah governor pleads for public’s help in finding person who shot Charlie Kirk

The person who assassinated conservative activist Charlie Kirk and then vanished off a roof and into the woods remained at large more than 24 hours later on Thursday as federal investigators appealed for the public’s help by releasing photos of the person they believe is responsible.

Investigators obtained clues, including a palm print, a shoe impression and a high-powered hunting rifle found in a wooded area along the path the assassin fled.

But they had yet to name a suspect or cite a motive in the killing they were treating as the latest act of political violence to convulse the United States across the ideological spectrum.

This undated image provided by the FBI shows a person of interest in connection with the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk (Federal Bureau of Investigation via AP). PA Media

The photos of a person in a hat, sunglasses and a long-sleeve black shirt, with a backpack, as well as a 100,000-dollar (£136,000) reward for information leading to an arrest, suggested that law enforcement thought tips from the public might be needed to crack the case.

Two people who were taken into custody shortly after Wednesday’s shooting at Utah Valley University were later released, forcing officials to chase new leads on a separate person of interest they pursued on Thursday.

During a news conference on Thursday with FBI director Kash Patel, authorities showed a video of a person being sought in connection with the killing racing across the roof of the building where the shot was fired, dropping down to the ground and fleeing into the woods.

In the process, officials say, the person left behind imprints, including a palm print, that investigators hope can yield clues to their identity.

Utah governor Spencer Cox pleaded for the public’s help in the search for the person.

“We have people all over the country trying to bring this perpetrator to justice,” he said, adding that the FBI had received more than 7,000 leads and tips.

The direct appeals for public support at the nighttime news conference, including new and enhanced photos, appeared to signal law enforcement’s continued struggles a day and a half into the search to identify and pinpoint the person’s whereabouts.

One clue in the investigation was a Mauser .30-calibre, bolt-action rifle found in a towel in the woods.

A spent cartridge was recovered from the chamber, and three other rounds were loaded in the magazine, according to information circulated among law enforcement and described to The Associated Press.

The weapon and ammunition were being analysed by law enforcement at a federal lab.

President Donald Trump is joined on stage with Turning Point USA Founder Charlie Kirk in 2019 (Andrew Harnik/AP). PA Media

The attack, carried out in broad daylight as Mr Kirk spoke about social issues from a university courtyard, was captured on grisly videos that spread on social media.

The videos show Mr Kirk, a close ally of US President Donald Trump who played an influential role in rallying young Republican voters, speaking into a handheld microphone when suddenly a shot rings out.

Mr Kirk can be seen reaching up with his right hand as blood gushes from the left side of his neck.

Stunned spectators gasp and scream before people start running away.

The assassin, who investigators believe blended into the campus crowd because of a “college-age” appearance, fired a single shot from the rooftop where they were perched before jumping off.

Mr Trump, who was joined by Democrats in condemning the violence, said he would award Mr Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honour in the US, while vice president JD Vance and his wife, Usha, arrived on Thursday afternoon in Salt Lake City to visit with Mr Kirk’s family.

Mr Vance posted a remembrance on X chronicling their friendship, dating back to initial messages in 2017, through Mr Vance’s Senate run and the 2024 election.

(L-R) Erika Kirk, Usha Vance and vice president JD Vance deplane Air Force Two, carrying the body of Charlie Kirk, in Phoenix on Thursday (Ross D Franklin/AP). PA Media

“So much of the success we’ve had in this administration traces directly to Charlie’s ability to organise and convene,” Mr Vance wrote.

“He didn’t just help us win in 2024, he helped us staff the entire government.”

Mr Kirk’s casket was flown aboard Air Force Two from Utah to Phoenix, where his nonprofit political youth organisation, Turning Point USA, is based. Mr Trump told reporters he plans to attend Mr Kirk’s funeral.

Details have not been announced.

Mr Kirk was a conservative provocateur who became a powerful political force among young Republicans and was a fixture on college campuses, where he invited sometimes-vehement debate on social issues.

He was shot while attending one such event on Wednesday, a debate hosted by Turning Point at the Sorensen Centre on campus in what was billed as the first stop on Mr Kirk’s American Comeback Tour.